Wellbeing and Indigenous Rights

Nicholas has been asked to talk about his previous research and what he’s now working on in his role as Research Fellow at RegNet.

He'll talk about his previous work on measuring and promoting wellbeing and his current work on Indigenous rights and the resource industry.

Before coming to RegNet, Nicholas worked on measuring and promoting wellbeing in different practical contexts, and in particular, on government measures of national wellbeing.

Currently, Nicholas is working on several topics to do with Indigenous rights and the resource extraction industry. His work is part of a research programme led by RegNet’s Professor Nick Bainton and Peter Yu, ANU’s Vice President (First Nations), and staffed by academics from a range of Schools at ANU. The research programme is partnered with a Traditional Owner organization, the Ngarluma Yindjibarndi Foundation Limited, in the Pilbara region in Western Australia.

About the speaker

Nicholas Drake is a New Zealand philosopher, from the tribe Ngāi Tahu.

After completing Master’s degrees at Victoria University of Wellington and Washington University in St. Louis, he gained a PhD in Philosophy from ANU in 2024. He became a Research Fellow at RegNet in 2025.

COVID protocols

The ANU strongly encourages you to keep a mask with you at all times (for use when COVID-19 safe behaviours are not practicable) and to be respectful of colleagues, students and visitors who may wish to continue to wear one. Please continue to practice good hygiene. If you are unwell, please stay home. The ACT government’s COVID Smart behaviours can be accessed here.

This seminar presentation is an in-person only event. Registration is not required for in-person attendance as neither the ANU nor ACT Health conduct contact tracing.

If you require accessibility accommodations or a visitor Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan please email regnet.communications@anu.edu.au.

Image credit: Ieramugadu by Nicholas Drake